Battle of Okinawa, April 7th 1945

Can someone translate Yamato's words in the 4th panel ?
It's a quote from Itou Seiichi, the fleet's admiral commanding from Yamato who is actually against kamikaze mission and this whole operation.

A idealistic, but pointless and wasteful operation; at the cost of six ships and their crew, the Japanese fleet only managed to shoot down ten airplanes, and never even got close to the Okinawa landing zones.

Had they made it past the waves of aircraft, the task force would have ran into a massive battle line of, by then, modernized American battleships and their escorts.

This wasn't a suicide mission at all, it was plain suicide.

Summarized into:
- Weaker officers: This is suicide, lets not waste any more resource and lives
- Those in power: Are we going to let those American just walk into our land!?

But if they did get through the aircrafts, at least warship fans would have another battleship vs battleship action to talk about today

Operation Ten-go/Operation Heaven One

After the disastrous defeat of the IJN in Leyte Gulf, the Japanese Super-battleship Yamato makes a last effort to defend Okinawa against the Allied invasion force while being supported by the superior Fast Carrier Task Force (TF 58) commanded by Admiral Marc Mitscher. The IJN assigned Yamato while escorted by the light cruiser Yahagi and destroyers Isokaze, Hamakaze, Yukikaze, Asashimo, Hatsushimo, Kasumi, Fuyutsuki, and Suzutsuki, there objective is to stop the invasion of Okinawa with everything they got despite of being deprived from fuel. TF 58 consisted of 11 fleet carriers and another 6 battleships, 11 cruisers, and more than 30 destroyers are ready to engaged the IJN fleet, their objective is to prevent Yamato to reach Okinawa. USN was aware that the Japanese is using kamikaze against them which had already sunk several ships during the early engagements.

The IJN fleet departed from Tokuyama at 16:00, April 6. Around 18:30, submarines USS Threadfin SS-410 and USS Hackleback SS-295 spotted the incoming Japanese Force as they passed from the Bungo Channel. Instead of intercepting, they followed the Japanese Fleet and sends updates to the American Fleet in Okinawa about their positions. At 19:45, the Japanese assumed that there were submarines and makes an anti-submarine formation. At 20:20 the submarines were detected, the submarines weren't able to keep up with the fleet, they decided to abandon their position.

At 6:00 of April 7, the IJN fleet formed an anti-aircraft formation. Around 6:57, while off course from Kyusuhu, Asashimo suddenly suffered from engine troubles and has to draw back. At 8:15, Yahagi detected a group of F6Fs and F4Us fighters for reconnaissance. Around 10:00, carriers Hornet CV-12, Bennignton CV-20, Belleau Wood CVL-24, and San Jacinto CVL-30 from TG 58.1 and Essex CV-9, Bunker Hill CV-17, Hancock CV-19 and Bataan CVL-29 of TG 58.3 begin to launched their aircraft. At 11:30, Yamato detected 2 Martin PBM Mariner and fired her 18.1 inch guns at the aircraft, but failed to hit them.

The first aircraft arrived at 12:00, there orders is to intercept any possible presence of enemy aircraft, which there were none somehow. At 12:10, Asashimo send a message at the main fleet that the Allied are attacking. At 12:15, the fleet prepares for battle, 12:21, Asashimo sunk in action. Allied aircraft first contact with Yamato was around 12:32, and at 12:34, Yamato open fired her her main batteries, she increases her speed to 24 knots, and begins firing her anti-aircraft guns against enemy aircraft. At 12:41 Yamato was hit by 2 Anti Piercing Bombs, a bomb managed to hit her superstructure then a torpedo his her at 12:45, the damage wasn't enough to stop the battleship.

At 12:46, Yahagi was hit by one torpedo which completely stopped her. Hamakaze was hit by a torpedo and sunk at 12:47. The first wave stops at 13:00, Yamato changed course to 180 degrees heading south.

At 13:08, a bomb was dropped at Suzutsuki, her front turret was damaged. At 13:20, the American resumed their attacks with the rest of the TF 58. At 13:22, the second wave of aircraft arrived, they concentrated their attacks at Yamato. At 13:25, Kasumi suffered heavy damage from enemy aircraft, she was scuttled afterwards. At 13:33, Yamato was hit by three torpedoes, the damage-control crew attempted to repair the damages. Around 13:45, the damage-control crew manage to repair Yamato's rudder, Yamato's speed was reduced to 10 knots, her gun directors were damage from the bombing which reduces her guns effectiveness. At 13:56, Isokaze attempted to rescue the damaged Yahagi but she was attacked and suffered heavy damaged which she was scuttled afterwards. Around 14:02, Admiral Itou Seiichi ordered to cancel the mission. At 14:05, Yamato was stopped dead in the water and began to capsize, Admiral Itou and his crew decided that they will not abandon the ship. Yahagi suffered another six torpedoes and twelve bombs, she sunk at 14:05. At 14:20, Yamato capsized completely and began to sink. At 14:23, the fire ignites on her main magazine and Yamato exploded and sent a mushroom-shaped cloud almost 20,000 feet in the air which is seen 200 km from Kagoshima, this believed that the explosion have downed several aircraft. Admiral Itou was killed in action, Rear Vice Admiral Komura assumed command.

At 14:40, the attacks stopped. Destroyers, Fuyutsuki, Yukikaze, and Hatsushimo rescued 280 survivors from Yamato, 555 survivors from Yahagi, and 800 survivors from Asashimo, Hamakaze, Isokaze, Hamakaze, and Kasumi. Despite that Suzutsuki suffered heavy damage and lost her bow from the engagement she's able to return to Sasebo. At 16:57, Kasumi was scuttled and at 22:40, Isokaze was scuttled by Yukikaze.

There were 3,700 to 4,250 casualties from the battle. The USN lost 10 aircraft from the engagement with 12 aircrew dead while 1 carrier, 1 battleship, and 1 destroyer were moderately damage due to kamikaze attacks, 100 aircraft were used for kamikaze. Yamato was hit by at least 11 torpedoes and 6 bombs, there may have been many but those weren't confirmed.

The rest of the surviving ships arrived at Sasebo on April 8, 1945.

[Source: Wikipedia and Japanese Wikipedia with several more information in the web.]

MooCow21 said:

This wasn't a suicide mission at all, it was plain suicide.

Then today, just read about the legend of Kusunoki Masashige. He's the samurai whose banner, the Chrisanthemum and Water became a symbol for kamikaze pilot and perhaps the figure who famously use the "Hi Ri Hou Ken Ten" slogan.
Poor guy

Confucianism (popular in his era) seems to highly regard the value of loyalty. But CMIIW, it's not unconditional like absolutism because those in power are also expected to be responsible upon their governing and subjects.

Seika said:

Then today, just read about the legend of Kusunoki Masashige. He's the samurai whose banner, the Chrisanthemum and Water became a symbol for kamikaze pilot and perhaps the figure who famously use the "Hi Ri Hou Ken Ten" slogan.
Poor guy

Confucianism (popular in his era) seems to highly regard the value of loyalty. But CMIIW, it's not unconditional like absolutism because those in power are also expected to be responsible upon their governing and subjects.

But wasn't Kusunoki Masashige was known for his samurai-unlikely war strategy?
How did his banner became the symbol for Kamikaze pilot?

Emperor Go-Daigo (which Masashige served) tried to bring back power to the Emperor. But unlike Emperor Meiji some 6 centuries later, he failed. He's stripping the power from samurai class who has taken over government and intending to return it to court officials along with outdated traditions out of him idealizing the ruling of his ancestor.

When Ashikaga Takauji (later first Shogun of Muromachi period) bring vast army of his supporters to the capital, Masashige offered his suggestions.
First is to embrace Takauji and let him lead the samurai, because samurai wouldn't take being ordered by aristocrats anymore and Takauji is a respected man. This is rejected.
As alternative, he suggested evacuating Kyoto to attack Takauji later, this too is rejected because the Emperor see it unthinkable for him to run away from the threat, like when he's being exiled in Yoshino before.

So Masashige entered the battle of Minatogawa against enemy thousands of times larger than his (need quotation of exact number). This is as how the Emperor ordered him to destroy the rebelling warriors.
Obviously his army are destroyed.

As the general, Masashige knew better than anyone in court he can't possibly win that battle heads on.
Yet he kept his loyalty and march to his death.
Yes, it's stupid, but "loyalty without any doubt" is the operational word.

Seika said:

Summarized into:
- Weaker officers: This is suicide, lets not waste any more resource and lives
- Those in power: Are we going to let those American just walk into our land!?

But if they did get through the aircrafts, at least warship fans would have another battleship vs battleship action to talk about today

Actually, the US Navy originally planned to send in the battleships first but Admiral Mitscher's planes beat them to the punch.

Simply put, Mitscher saw an opportunity to prove once and for all the superiority of aircraft carriers over battleships.

JsTuCkEy said:

Actually, the US Navy originally planned to send in the battleships first but Admiral Mitscher's planes beat them to the punch.

Simply put, Mitscher saw an opportunity to prove once and for all the superiority of aircraft carriers over battleships.

Still would have made a quick mess of the IJN task force though. An overall larger force with more modern BBs, and more of every other surface vessel. Yamato would have likely lost FCS early in the engagement and then just gotten smothered like Bismark. And it's likely the carriers would have added planes to the engagement as well.